Gary redevelopment ideas on tap Thursday

A Merrillville-based design firm will be among eight companies from across the United States making presentations at Gary City Hall Thursday, March 30, on how to develop parts of the city, including downtown and around the Miller train station.

The Arsh Group, which already is involved in several redevelopment projects related to the University Park neighborhood, will offer ideas as will three Chicago-based firms -- Habitat Co., Gary Rising Partners/East Lake Management, and Turnstone Development.

Officials of Northbrook, Ill.-based Brinshore, along with Berkeley Calhoun of Hyattsville, Md., NHP Foundation of New York, and Meridian Hospitality of Cleveland round out the roster of presentations.

"This is attracting talent from around the country," said Joseph Van Dyk, redevelopment commission executive director, whose agency is coordinating the meeting in the Gary Room at City Hall beginning at 1 p.m.

"We'll get to hear their ideas about our city," Van Dyk said.

This is an extension of the process over the last two years relating to future development of the University Park neighborhood – the area between the Indiana University Northwest and Ivy Tech Community College campuses. The process was required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to describe how the city would use federal grant dollars. Van Dyk said city officials decided a similar process would be equally worthwhile to study other parts of Gary.

"We fully intend to do development downtown or around the Miller train station (used by the South Shore commuter trains)," Van Dyk said. "There's no reason we shouldn't have city-wide discussions about development."

Their ideas could be about projects for anywhere in the city, including the Gary Lakefront and Marquette Park, or development of industrial parks, as well as the downtown and Miller Beach communities or the University Park area.

Presenting firms made formal bids to the redevelopment commission for commercial, residential and mixed-use development in February. None has been offered specific contracts to do work for Gary, but Van Dyk said some of their ideas could be incorporated into future plans.

Among city officials expected to participate in the session are Economic Development coordinator Bo Kemp, Community Development director Arlene Colvin, along with all common council and redevelopment commission members, who will be expected to question the firms extensively.

Thursday's session will be open to the public, but residents may not be able to ask questions, Van Dyk said.

"We have a lot of people we want to hear from and the hearing could run long," he said. "We may have to offer a 'question box.'"